Lord Hall announced initiatives including a new "Birmingham Writer in Residence" and a public-facing Blue Room at The Mailbox.

However, he has not responded to criticism that the BBC produces no prime-time television in the Midlands - a region which accounts for almost a quarter of its income.

Selly Oak's Labour MP Steve McCabe said: "I had rather hoped that Lord Hall was coming to say he had got investment up to 13 per cent and to talk about how he increased it from there.

"He should be setting out how it will grow by that amount every year for the next few years until investment is up to a level that is acceptable and we are finally getting our fair share.

"We need to hear a target for the BBC to get to in order to stop it from short changing the licence fee-payers of the Midlands."

The Birmingham Post and sister title the Birmingham Mail are both campaigning for the BBC to reinvest at least half of the money it collects from Midland licence fee-payers - but no promises have been forthcoming.

The calls have been backed by Prime Minister David Cameron, Mayor of London Boris Johnson and dozens of Midland MPs.

Such is the shortfall of investment in the Midlands, the issue was raised in a Government document related to negotiations over the BBC's next ten-year charter.

The BBC has increased investment levels in the region to about £125 million by next year, largely by bringing HR jobs to The Mailbox.

Today, Lord Hall is expected to make two announcements.

One is the writer in residence, which will see one local writer work for six months across the BBC's flagship Birmingham output - Radio 4 shows The Archers and Home Front and BBC One's Doctors.

He is also opening the Blue Room, an area in The Mailbox to showcase innovations in technology available from the BBC.

However, no announcements about jobs or production are expected.

In a statement, BBC Lord Hall said: "When I last visited BBC Birmingham, I said we would do more for the city and, since then, investment has gone up 50 per cent per year to £125 million and we've moved significant parts of our operations here.

"Now, we're making BBC Birmingham more open to the public and working with some great creative partners.

"I want everyone to come to our home at The Mailbox and get involved."

"We've got more money coming in - in difficult circumstances - the BBC Music Awards are coming from the Genting Arena and now these new initiatives, which are all deigned to inspire and find the programme makers of tomorrow, cement BBC Birmingham's role as the BBC's centre for skills and talent."

A BBC source said Birmingham was “well placed” in bidding to become a BBC digital centre of excellence.

The source added: “We’ve been clear about our commitment to Birmingham. In September we also set out our proposals for the BBC’s programmes and services in the next Charter, which set out our desire to establish centres of excellence for experimental online content and we look forward to discussing Birmingham’s proposals for this.”